National Music Centre Opens Updated Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibition on November 22

Exhibition moves to a new location on the fourth floor with artifacts from 2023 inductees Jason McCoy and Brian Edwards, alongside many past inductees

(Calgary, AB — November 15, 2023) The National Music Centre (NMC) in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA) is pleased to announce the opening of an updated exhibition that will showcase even more of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (CCMHF). The new space will open at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in Calgary, on November 22.

Since 2009, the National Music Centre has worked in collaboration with the Canadian Country Music Association to showcase items from the CCMHF at Studio Bell. This year, NMC is moving the permanent exhibition to a new location on the fourth floor with a lot of exciting new things to experience.

As the official permanent home of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, National Music Centre is the custodian of more than 2,000 artifacts (textiles, instruments, and photos) within the CCMHF collection. The updated Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame exhibition will expand in content as new Artists and Builders are inducted, giving visitors and fans more reasons to return year after year.

“This updated display of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame will give country fans a chance to explore the collection in all its glory, including many items that have never been shared before,” said Jesse Moffatt, NMC’s Senior Director of Collections and Exhibitions. “I think fans are going to be impressed by the sheer amount of country music history reflected in the space, and hopefully they leave with a sense of pride for Canada’s country music legacy.”

“We are honoured to see country music’s best and brightest honoured and celebrated year over year within the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame at the National Music Centre,” shares Amy Jeninga, President, CCMA. “We are both inspired and ensured that this new home within the National Music Centre will continue to elevate and celebrate Canadian country music in every way for years to come.”

Country fans can explore new artifacts and storytelling from the 2023 Hall of Fame Artist and Builder inductees, multiple CCMA Male Vocalist of the Year Jason McCoy (also frontman of the best-selling band The Road Hammers) and veteran talent agent Brian Edwards. Treasures from McCoy include a “western tux” jacket purchased in Nashville in the early ‘90s before making it big and worn again for his Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame induction 20 years later in 2023. From Edwards, visitors will see backstage passes, representing shows with some of his – and country music’s – biggest stars, including Tommy Hunter and Stompin’ Tom Connors.

Over 50 artifacts representing past inductees will also be highlighted, including items from Ian Tyson (signed lyric sheet for “Four Strong Winds”), Sylvia Tyson (autoharp that appears on the cover of Ian and Sylvia’s first album), Anne Murray (custom acoustic guitar), Terri Clark (lyric sheet for “Gypsy Boots”), Paul Brandt (handmade shirt styled after one of his idols, American country music superstar Garth Brooks), and Hank Snow (bedazzled stage outfit designed by Harvey Krantz, who also outfitted Elvis, Liberace, and James Brown). Not to mention a down home and DIY poster board from 2022 CCMHF inductee George Fox. Made to promote and sell cassette tapes at his shows in the ‘80s, it’s crafted from an old kitchen cabinet door and butchering board.

This wide-ranging exhibition with a modern-western atmosphere will offer visitors fun insights and a more fulsome understanding of the contributions inductees have made to the legacy of country music in Canada, and around the world.

The updated Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame exhibition is among many exciting changes happening at Studio Bell over the next year, with many new and converted spaces planned for 2024.

About National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music. It is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. NMC is the home to four Canadian music halls of fame, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Quebec’s ADISQ Hall of Fame. Featuring musical instruments, artifacts, recording equipment, and memorabilia, the NMC Collection spans over 450 years of music history and innovation. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.

About the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®)
Established in 1976, the CCMA is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate, and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community, and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Sponsors of Country Music Week 2023 and the 2023 CCMA Awards Show presented by TD include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters, and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund”.

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Media Contact:
Julijana Capone, Senior Publicist
julijana.capone@nmc.ca | @nmc_canada